Monarch butterflies

My mom and I were talking last night a little about how monarch butterflies, being a migratory butterfly that winters in Mexico and Central America, suffered incredible losses last Winter, with harsh freezes killing large percentages of their numbers. She was wondering if I had seen any monarchs yet. I hadn’t. Worse, all my asclepias (butterfly weed) froze over the winter, so any monarchs visiting my yard right now won’t have any food for their larva anyway.

Mom and I also talked about how Houston Public Schools now have a mandate to create butterfly gardens on their campuses, and yet no money or expertise provided to do so. I applaud the goal – habitat and learning opportunities – but the execution appears sloppy.